Written question asked by Lord Murphy of Torfaen (Labour) on Tuesday, 21 July 2026, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 4 August 2026. It was answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill (Labour) on Monday, 27 July 2026 on behalf of the Department for Transport.

Great Western Railway: Overcrowding

Question: To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions, if any, the Secretary of State for Transport has had with Great Western Railway regarding recent disruptions to its services, particularly in terms of reliability and over-crowding.

Answer: I maintain regular engagement with Great Western Railway on operational performance matters, including service reliability, disruption management and passenger experience. The Department holds the operator to account for meeting its contractual obligations, including addressing reliability issues and managing passenger crowding where services are disrupted or demand is high. Great Western Railway’s transfer into public ownership on 13 December 2026 will further enable improvements in reliability, performance, accountability, and the overall customer experience.

Secondary information